Military veterans angry at pensions freeze

(TELEGRAPH) Around 400,000 retired soldiers, sailors and airman are angry that they are being treated the same as other civil servants.

Public sector pensions were frozen this year because the headline rate of inflation in September, which is used to calculate payouts, was minus 1.4 per cent.

Retired Captain Malcolm Farrow, of the Forces Pension Society, told the Daily Mail that military veterans should be treated as “separate cases”.

He said: “We believe that military service is unique and as a result military people should be treated as separate cases.

“We don’t demand privileged status but we think they should be considered separately.”

Richard Hill, 61, of Bracknell, Berkshire, who served in the RAF for 40 years, said: “When you look at the way the Government has treated servicemen and women, let alone veterans, you should not be surprised.”

Jim Grieve, 70, of Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, a former airman of 39 years, called the Prime Minister a “pickpocket”.

He said: “Gordon Brown makes such a big thing about being loyal to the Armed Forces.

“He says he is proud of troops prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice, and then we suffer this blow. He is little more than a pickpocket.”